Chicago Cubs: Adbert Alzolay next up as Kyle Hendricks hits the 10-day IL

Chicago Cubs: If Alzolay and Chatwood aren’t tapped, could it be Montgomery?

Mike Montgomery is no stranger to getting spot starts and has been fairly good at making them in his time as a Cub. While his numbers in relief have been far superior to those when he starts, he has nonetheless turned in some fine performances as a starter and has made it a point to let everyone know that he would rather be starting.

One issue that might prohibit Montgomery from starting right now is that he hasn’t really been stretched out all year and he hasn’t made any starts this season. He also saw time on the IL himself this year, so the Cubs may be hesitant to have him change his routine, even if he’s done it in the past.

The last time Montgomery threw two innings in a game was May 20, and the only time he threw more than two this year was on May 9 when he piggybacked off a Yu Darvish four-inning start, finishing the game with five solid frames to pick up the win.

While it’s not likely the left-hander would start in Hendricks’ absence, he has had the most success as a starter in a Cubs uniform out of the three options. As always, the other point to consider with Montgomery is his left-handedness and what Maddon/Epstein think would benefit the team the most in a start against the White Sox or Mets. With an off-day on Monday to keep the rest of the rotation on schedule, the Cubs have about a week before they have to make any real decisions on this front.

While I’m hoping for an Adbert Alzolay sighting at Wrigley Field, at this point, I really don’t care who pitches as long as the Cubs are winning ball games. But, Alzolay being given a chance and acclimating to big league ball certainly makes things easier down the stretch when we’ll need him in the pen.